Have you ever gotten lost on a trail? In life, getting back on track can feel just as challenging. It’s not as simple as restarting your phone—it takes time, reflection, and intentional steps. Today’s message from Jonah 2 walks us through the process of returning to God after we've gone the wrong way.

In the belly of a fish, Jonah offers a heartfelt prayer to God, borrowing words from the Psalms. His journey back to obedience is a pattern we can follow when we find ourselves far from God's path.

Big Idea: God meets us wherever we are, and through prayer, reflection, and repentance, we can step back into His will for our lives.

4 Steps to Returning to God:

Reorient – Call on God in your distress. There is no place too far for His presence.

Retrace – Look back honestly. Where did things go wrong? How has God been faithful even when you didn’t notice?

Repent – Acknowledge your mistakes. Repentance is not just about guilt—it’s about turning back to God and trusting Him again.

Run Along – After you’ve realigned with God, move forward with confidence. God can use you—even through your failures—to accomplish His purposes.

Just like Jonah, we all have moments of resistance. But when we stop, pray, and let God redirect us, He sets us back on His path.

Scripture Reference: Jonah 2:1-10

Take this journey with us as we reflect, repent, and press on toward the calling God has for our lives. My prayer is that we would be a people who respond faithfully to God, even when it’s hard.

Prayer Prompts:

Reorient: Who is God? Who am I in Him?

Retrace: Where did I go wrong? How has God been faithful?

Repent: Where have I strayed from His will?

Run Along: Where is God calling me now?

Let’s lay our hearts before God and step back onto His path together.